After four years of spending my winters in Belize, I was finally blessed with some visitors from home. First, my father, an active 75 year old retired science teacher, flew down for a week. Then the day after he returned to the States, my best friend and co-pirate Lisa Love came with her daughter Maya. They will end their two week stay this Sunday. After all the sightseeing - some on the beaten trail, and some far from it - I think I have earned my unofficial Belizean tour guide license.
I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to travel and study foreign cultures with my family and my friends. I can see how strong my kids are becoming, not only physically but in their cultural awareness and global consciousness.
Praise be to Jah!
Here are some photos and a list of some hot spots and good deals I found along the way:
In Belize City:
Hotel Mopan 501-227-7351 A bit pricey at $60US per night but it was safe and secure and had nice views of the cityscape.
Euphrates Car Rental 501-227-5752
On the Western Highway:
The Belize Zoo $10 US Open everyday, this is a small but informative jungle enclosure with Central American animals of all shapes and sizes including the sacred jaguar and my personal favorite the Harpy Eagle.
In the Cayo District:
Midas Resort 501-824-3172 $60 US per night for cabanas in a beautifully tropical setting just 5 minutes walk from the heart of San Ignacio. Dora the office manager is very helpful to suggest restaurants and tour options.
Elvira's Hotel in the heart of town 501-804-0243 $30 US per night. Simple and affordable.
Medicinal Tail at Chaa Creek 670-0809 $15 US for a guided walk thru Belize's healing plants and trees as well as entrance to the Blue Morpho butterfly farm and Natural History and Culture Museum.
Xunantunich Ruins $10 US offers panoramic views of Belize and Guatemala. Info center has lots of maps and time lines. You might even see a monkey or two on the hike to the top.
In the Mountain Pine Ridge everything is nice. We canoed to the Barton Creek Cave with a guide for $25 US per adult, kids were free. It was a perfect earth science field trip for grade school kids. We also drove to Big Rock falls for naked nyabinghi drumming and a fresh water swim. Tours go here but we rented a car and were happy we did.
For local transportation, contact the father and son taxi service Alex and Giovani at 501-605-2190. Fair and reliable for short or long distance runs.
La Vista Restaurant in San Ignacio 501-804-4609. We sat on the outdoor, rooftop patio and enjoyed fresh, delicious food from this sweet family-run restaurant.
On the Hummingbird Highway:
St. Hermans Cave and Blue Hole Nat'l Park are both included in the entrance fee $5 US per adult. Both have beautiful jungle hikes and educational signs and centers.
In Hopkins Village:
Lebeha Drumming Center offers rooms and cabanas $15-$50 US. Jabar and his Garifuna Drummers make the nights exciting while Dorothy is there with a smile and a cup of coffee in the morning.
Hopkins Inn http://www.hopkinsinn.com/ $80 US per night. Owned by Greg and Rita, these cabanas, which sit 30 feet from the sea, are clean, peaceful, and guarantee relaxation. The best part is the included breakfast of fresh fruit, breads and juices served right to your veranda.
King Cassava bar on the main intersection is a good place to drink a cold Belikin and people-watch. Ask Mark for his special 'bitters' if you want an extra skip in your step.
Barefoot Yoga hosted by Dorman was the most intense yoga class I have taken in my life but well worth the $15 US drop in fee. He teaches most days. Ask Rita at Hopkins Inn for more info.
Yugadah Restaurant is run by a very colorful Ms. Rosie. Both the food and the storytelling are great. I ate the fresh snapper sandwich with cassava pudding for dessert. $7 US total.
For reef tours contact Nowel Lunez at the Watering Hole. He carried us to Southwater Caye, Tobacco Caye, and Bird Island. It was the best reef trip I have ever had in Belize hands down.
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